One Tuff Bag

Photographer: The size of the Tuff Truck Bag is deceiving at first, but it can fit a lot of items that are normally tossed about in the bed.

Designed to protect stowed gear from the elements, these rugged truck-bed storage enclosures are built of tried-and-true materials used on inflatable boats

A great feature of any pickup is the bed. The space behind the cab, which ranges from 5½ to 8 feet, is a valuable asset, especially for those who have already packed the trailer’s storage compartments like sardines in a can and still have a mound of supplies to load for a trip. No doubt, a pickup bed can hold a lot of stuff, but having items out in the open, ready to be pounded by the elements, is not exactly a great way to treat them.

The Tuff Truck Bag can be tied down using the provided bungee cords and the stake pockets in the bed.

There are solutions, although some, like a bed cover or truck cap, are on the expensive side. Tuff Truck Bags take the process of packing gear in an open truck bed to the extreme. As the name suggests, Tuff Truck Bags are super-rugged storage bags designed for trucks. Resilient enough to resist puncturing and 100 percent waterproof, the bags provide safe sanctuary for up to 26 cubic feet of camping and outdoor supplies or other items that simply need transporting.

Our first impression of a big bag used to store things in the back of a truck met with a few chuckles before realizing that the idea really had merit. A closer look at the Tuff Truck Bag reveals more than just a hefty 40-inch-wide, 50-inch-long and 22-inch-tall rectangular bag. The bag resembles a raft — not surprising, since it’s made from the materials used in whitewater-river boats, which typically sell for thousands of dollars, and there’s no question that those inflatable watercraft must be tough.

The bags are constructed of non-breathable PVC multilayer fabric that has been heat-fusion seam-sealed at all edges. The “door” to the bag is a heavy-duty commercial-grade zipper backed by a triple-folded, waterproof PVC flap that unquestionably will keep out the elements. For tying down and securing into any truck bed, the Tuff Truck Bag has four heavy-duty D-rings bonded into the top corners, along with four adjustable bungee cords.

When not in use, the bag can be stuffed into the tote bag for easy transporting and storing.

When it comes to a formal installation procedure, in short, there isn’t one, aside from taking the usual safety precautions that coincide with bungee cords. Just load the Tuff Truck Bag with the possessions that need transporting, zip it up, tie it down using the included bungees (and/or other tie-downs), and away you go. When finished, allow the empty bag to dry, if needed, then fold it back up, pack it in the storage tote and put it away until next time. That’s it! Of course, you need to be watchful of the bag and its contents; it’s not exactly secure out in the open.

It’s nice to see when a company delivers exactly what’s being advertised with no question about its form, function or quality. Tuff Truck Bags weigh 10 pounds empty and should easily provide years of reliable performance. The bags come in black or khaki and sell for $199.95.

By the way, you’re not limited to the bed of a truck with this bag. You can get a little creative with its location for even better value for the investment — and remember, these bags are tough.

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